Chapter Text
In those quiet moments in their late night shifts together, his eyes would shift from the desk to his right then towards the doe-eyed inspector. At first, he would expect to find her eyes fall towards his direction, only to then realize her gaze had slightly lowered to the desk where Kougami had once worked in. Initially, she would swiftly change her line of sight in those brief moments of eye-contact, giving him a curt nod and shifted her attention back to her screen. He didn’t need a detective’s intuition to figure out the reason for this. He knew this and she wasn’t aware of it half the time.
It was only three weeks after he became an enforcer did Ginoza take notice of a feint scent tobacco that lingered whenever she was nearby. It took him less than a week later to find out what it was. He decided not to inquire if she had been smoking, much less on the question of why. It was an all too familiar scene; after the loss of someone they cared about, the first instinct one would find doing was embodying the habits of those who leave them behind. To Kougami, it was Sasayama. To Tsunemori, it was Kougami. To Ginoza it was his father. His eyes lingered at the familiar sight of a light shade of blue bulging out of her pocket. The inspector in turn didn’t meet his gaze, her eyes focused on the task at hand.
After a good eight months, it was already established with how things work in the new Division 1. It became clear to both Ginoza and Kunizuka where Tsunemori’s priorities lie. Her ideals, her values, her determination could be seen by the way she handled case after case. Each time they were faced with an unforeseeable circumstance, the once naïve inspector would be the first to find an alternative whenever they were in a bind. The first time it happened, it scared the hell out of him. She was still as reckless as ever, but once in a while she would assure him it was going to be alright. There were moments too where it sent him over the edge, bringing out remnants of his old self as he would reprimand her at the risks she took to close the case.
“Ginoza-san,” she said once, after he said his piece. “Thank you for worrying about me but it’s going to be alright.”
That was all it took to realize how protective he was towards his reckless superior. His therapist himself had to define it for him after he had expressed his concerns of Tsunemori’s lack of regard for herself. He chuckled at the notion that perhaps he was falling for his former kohai; the 8 year gap between them was one thing, but he knew that if it were the case, he wouldn’t be able to compete with a ghost that lingered between them.
After a full year and a half did he resign himself into following her methods; by this time he knew it was a fool’s errand to even try to stop her. However, his faith in her safety would once again waver after Aoyanagi Risa’s death. A friend, and a colleague who entered the CID at the same time as him and Kougami. The sight of her wrist-link bloodied by her own insides left him paralysed in the crime scene. In the corner of his eye Tsunemori watched him slump to one of the benches at the crime scene as the little drones collected the evidence. An inspector from Division 3 was about to reprimand him for not doing his job, only to have the petite inspector shake her head to leave him be. Ginoza had later presumed it was her way of giving comfort as she had given everyone, including the new inspector Shimotsuki Mika a break from all the hell they had witnessed.
The first time he saw Kougami’s silhouette in Tsunemori was over a year ago during the Makishima case. The second time he saw his friend’s ghost in her was during that fateful night during the arrest of Kuwashima. A box that shone green in the flickering lights of the fires was casually presented before her. Without question she grabbed it from the suspect’s hand. From where Ginoza stood, his line of sight shifted to his superior the very moment she twitched at the contents. A shadow gloomed over her eyes for a split second as her face slowly contort itself into fury.
“What did you do?!” she grabbed Kuwashima by the tie.
A flash of Kougami’s face mirrored that of Tsunemori Akane.
“Tsunemori!”
Ginoza abandoned his position and hastened towards her.
“What did you do?!” she cried out once again.
With his prosthetic arm, he immediately slung it over her body, holding her back as she flailed her arms in protest, her fingers curled as if she were about to claw at the man before her. Ginoza grabbed the box from her grip and signalled Kunizuka to take it from him.
As soon as his fellow enforcer grabbed it from him, Ginoza rested his flesh hand on the inspector’s shoulder; his eyes locked onto her movements until-
“Tsunemori…Aoi…”
Kunizuka gaped at the box that revealed an ear of Tsunemori’s grandmother.
Ginoza’s eyes widened at the revelation, in his arms, the small woman’s shoulders heaved erratically.
He signalled Kunizuka to bring Kuwashima into the wagon as he urged the rest of the enforcers to enter the wagon. He made a mental note that it was apparent that Shimostuki wasn’t in the best condition to take charge. She was far too young to be exposed to such brutality.
“Tsunemori.”
He began not long after Kuwashima was out of Tsunemori’s sight. His flesh right hand felt the little tremors on her shoulders as her breathing continued to tether in her seething rage. He gave a gentle squeeze on her shoulder, despite knowing it won’t be enough to quell the fires that burned in her eyes. The words he could have said, or the words he wished to say in hopes of calming her down; nothing came out, other than her name. As he knew that whatever words he’d say wouldn’t be enough.
Her back that was once arched straightened in his arms not long after, he loosen his arms around her and took a step back. He opened his mouth, wanting to ask if she was alright, but he knew she was anything but alright.
“We’re going back,” she finally said, her eyes fixed towards the unknown.
She walked past him, in his view he saw her hand slip into the pocket where that familiar light blue pack of spinel cigarettes would usually be resting.
As the night had moored into midnight, it became increasingly clear that they have no other choice but to pursue Kamui once and for all. In pursuit of the criminal, the remaining members of Division 3 and Division 1 found a channel that was located not far off from where the trains were designated. An order was declared that Tsunemori Akane had disobeyed orders and should be detained. As the teams followed the long passageway, they were greeted by the sounds of echoing footsteps that trailed from a not so far off distance. The drones were in position, blocking the passageway as blinding lights glared at the figure before them.
“Tsunemori Akane! I have been informed that your rights as an inspector are rescinded for disobeying orders.” the Divison 3 inspector began, “Do not resist and put your hands behind your–”
“Don’t!”
Ginoza and Hinakawa were the first to intervene. Hinakawa quickly displayed on his wrist-link that Shepheard 1 of Division 1 had her rights reinstated.
“Tell me, what colour am I now?”
He knew that look in her eyes. Have I made the right choice? Her eyes spoke to him, asking to be judged by the hands of her subordinates. His grip tightened on the dominator in hand, his eyes fixed on the look on her face.
After a reading from the dominator scan, he sighed a little with a small smile on his face.
“Clear as crystal.”
Due to the large amount of arrests they made on that night, the paddy wagons were filled with both criminals and enforcers alike. Tsunemori offered to a ride to Ginoza. He willingly accepts. After a report was made by her fellow inspector, her eyes gazed into the distance as she reclined on her seat. She turned to the passenger’s seat, seemingly apologetic as she hesitated to speak.
“It’s alright if you don’t want to talk about it,” Ginoza said.
He knew that if he had the chance to get her to open up to him, this would be it. Instead he drew the line, like he had always done since he worked as an enforcer. But at the same time, he was aware of the indescribable burden on her shoulders, her expression was the same look she gave him and his father when they were in the hyper-oats factory.
“When you’re willing to talk, I’ll listen,” he quickly added.
With those words, small tears fell from the corner of her eyes. The sight of it took him aback a little and hesitantly reached for her hand and squeezed a little in his grip. A mere second later he released it. Tsunemori in turn sniffled once or twice, she wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled at him. He could not distinguish if it was her way of thanking him or apologetic at the ruse she made back there.
Without another word, she started the car and drove towards the tower.